Several D.C. Democrats have refused to condemn the Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel—that left over 1,400 dead— as they spew their support for Palestine.
This week, Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and fellow Republicans introduced legislation banning the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from providing green cards, visas, refugee status, and parole to Palestinians coming to the United States.
It would also revoke visas for Palestinians already in the U.S., making it easier for them to be deported.
However, the plan didn’t go over so well with anti-Israel Democrats, who have repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Democrat Reps. Andre Carson (D-IN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) called the GOP’s legislation “xenophobic, punitive, and [an] unconstitutional measure.”
In a joint statement, they said:
As the three Muslim Members of Congress, we are horrified by Rep. Ryan Zinke’s recently introduced bill to pause all visas, refugee status, and granting of asylum for individuals holding a passport issued by the Palestinian Authority indefinitely — and to revoke others. Using the full power of the state to target and persecute a particular ethnic group or nationality is fascism and pure bigotry. This legislation—by a former cabinet official no less—directly violates the U.S. Constitution and would illegally destroy the lives of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinian immigrants who live in and contribute to American society. Though intended to target Muslims, this bill will also hurt Palestinian Christians, who will be targeted by these provisions. History will harshly judge this xenophobic, punitive, and unconstitutional measure. [Emphasis added] We call on the leadership of both parties to vocally and specifically condemn these comments and legislation, to make clear that anti-Muslim and anti-Arab hate has no place in our politics, and to name it when it happens.
In defense of his legislation, Zinke said that he does not “trust the Biden Administration any more than I do the Palestinian Authority to screen who is allowed to come into the United States.”
As Republicans aim to keep potential terrorists out of the U.S., Democrats urged President Joe Biden to provide Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to Palestinians in the U.S.— which would ensure Palestinians in the country cannot be deported.